Time Capsule gets stuck at "Preparing Backup..." every time.
This has been happening for about two months now. I was sure 10.5.5 would fix the problem, but it still occurs. My Time Capsule seems to not work any more - it gets stuck "Preparing Backup..." permanently. I have left it running for two days straight and it makes no visible progress. Any ideas? I don't even know where to start.
Well... Mine was doing the 'preparing' thing... I ended up erasing the disk, and it took a few attempts where it said failed, but it is now backing up. Still, it's an awful way to run the equipment if this is a known bug. The point of back ups are so that you do not have to 'backup the backup' in case it goes belly up. Apple need to get this sorted asap.
Another thing could be the following: I changed the hard disk name, but TM did not liked it and said there were problems with the backup. As soon as I realized this, I changed the configuration back to the old name.
Nown, my Time Capsule hangs on preparing. Interestingly, I can now see and restore files from my initial backups before I messed around with the naming.
I have looked for the files inprogress but have not run the disk utility before I spend 5 hours on this (I have to do this wireless).
I wonder if you have any other suggestions?
Just go to System Preferences, Spotlight and put the Mac OS X boot disk in the private section of Spotlight so that indexing will be disabled for it. remove it immediately from the private section. Start a new backup...it will work...
I followed you advice in this thread. I found a .inProgress" file on my time machine.
When I tried to open the sparse bundle as you suggested, the error message was Resource temporarily unavailable.
When I ran disk utility repair disk on the sparsebundle, I received the following from the log file.
2008-09-28 14:44:57 -0500: Verify and Repair volume “Backup of Waring R. Fincke’s Computer (2)”
Starting repair tool: 2008-09-28 14:44:57 -0500
2008-09-28 14:44:57 -0500: Checking Journaled HFS Plus volume.
2008-09-28 14:44:57 -0500: Detected a case-sensitive catalog.
2008-09-28 14:44:57 -0500: Checking Extents Overflow file.
2008-09-28 14:44:57 -0500: Checking Catalog file.
2008-09-28 14:45:05 -0500: Invalid sibling link
2008-09-28 14:45:05 -0500: Volume check failed.
2008-09-28 14:45:05 -0500: Error: Filesystem verify or repair failed.2008-09-28 14:45:05 -0500:
2008-09-28 14:45:05 -0500: Disk Utility stopped repairing “Backup of Waring R. Fincke’s Computer (2)” because the following error was encountered:
Filesystem verify or repair failed.
2008-09-28 14:45:05 -0500:
Hi all, just thought I'd give you my story - not that it hasn't already been suggested but I've been tearing my hair out with errors and non-backups.
But now all is fine and has been for a couple of days. I am running Intego Virus Barrier X5 software and I also have a Mobile Me account which has my iDisk synced to my desktop.
I simply went into the prefs of Virus Barrier and selected both the mounted backup drive (whilst time machine was doing a backup), the time capsule backup disk AND my iDisk to be ignored whilst scanning for viruses.
I all works a treat now. Occasionally, I get a 'disk won't mount' message (which is very rare, but re-starting always rectifies this.
Update on my status trying to repair my TM volume: after two failed attempts using Disk Utility to repair, I was about to give up and wipe the disk to start over. Then last night I tried to use Apple TV and streaming choked so badly I suspected something might be wrong with the network. I restarted my Time Capsule and everything is now back in order: the streaming is OK again, and after a lengthy preparing stage (I left it overnight) I woke this morning to find that TM had completed its backup.
HOOORAY. So restarting your TC may solve your probs!
I found out reading in other posts, that this is a process that simply needs a lot of time because it needs to re-index the whole hard drive and compare the backup.
I waited (but this time with ethernet on) and it worked.
No, I have never suggested doing backups solely by means of ethernet. I DO suggest doing the
initial backup via ethernet. Then all subsequent backups can be performed wirelessly. In fact this is Apple's own suggestion:
“If you have an Ethernet cable, you can perform your first backup to your Time Capsule via Ethernet; this will allow for the fastest initial backup especially with client computers that use 802.11b or 802.11g.” [http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1176]
I have been having the same problem. Here is the strange things that have happened to me...
I used to run TM with my TC perfectly for months. Then, after a series of power failures (not sure if that is related however), I noticed that my internet on my iMac (wireless) was slower than normal. Everything else running online was fine. Well at this time, TC was not responding. It would not mount and I would always get a disc mount error. I didn't know what to do, but before I could do anything, the internet died altogether. After SEVERAL tries, I got TC to reboot, along with the cable modem, and the internet was up, but still slow. This time it said it was "Preparing to backup". I let it sit for several days like this, and eventually, my internet died again. I restarted the TC again, and nothing happened. I got so upset, as I knew it was related to my iMac (everything else went online fine), that I scheduled to take it in to the Genius bar. However, before I got the chance, the problem fixed itself. I hate it when problems fix themselves cause you never know what was wrong or how to fix it. Well it started to work. The internet was slow, but got faster, and eventually up to speed. BUT time capsule was STILL having the same problem. Today, it is still in "preparing backup". I have tried turning off TM, and the TC, and the iMac, and yet nothing works. Even if I try to cancel it, it just keeps trying. It has now sat here for many many days and never advances or goes anywhere.
I am about to try the Cold Restart mentioned in here, but I doubt it will work.
I do not want to have to loose all the data on my TC, as it has all my backups on it (about 500GB of backups so far on the 1TB drive). I have managed to connect to the TC and see the sparse file, but I cannot get it to boot at all. Even worse, I cannot get programs to work properly. I just noticed my Software Update program never connects, my Disk Utility never finished gathering data, and several programs just won't quit unless I force quit them.
This is not good, but I don't know what to do. It looks like a lot of problems, but I think it is all really just one big problem that affects everything.
Dear Glenn,
Thanks so much for your email. I left the whole mess alone for a few days out of sheer frustration, but went through your instructions today. The cold reboot didn't work on its own. I had to delete the sparsebundle for the desktop, which I didn't want to do, but after getting rid of it, then doing the cold reboot - voila - my time capsule is backing up as it did before. I don't think I'll try to backup my laptop on it, since that seemed to trigger this whole series of problems, but I just wanted to follow up and let you know that your suggestions were really helpful and much appreciated.
Well I performed a cold restart, and now I get a new error message.
Instead of the never-ending "preparing backup" message, I get the "backup disc image cannot be mounted" error message.
I don't know what to do. I tried mounting the sparsbundle file but it always fails. I cannot mount the TC drive (but at least I can connect to it), and I can't figure out why it isn't working.
I managed to get some of the other software to work better though (clicking out of Safari used to not work, but it does now), but this problem is still there.
It has now been 21 days since my last backup! I need HELP!
I don't want to erase all my backups, but I will only as a last resort. However, if I have to erase my backups, then what is the point of having this? Think about it, if this happens again, I will have to do the same thing, and all these backups are pointless.
It would be better to start a new thread with more details. Do the following and then post the results in a NEW thread, You are more likely to get responses that way.
Go into Applications --> Utilities --> Console.
Under “LOG FILES” on the left select "system.log".
You are looking for references to “backupdb”. This is the process TM uses to perform backups. You can enter “ backupdb” (without the quotes) in to the search box in the upper right corner of the window to isolate the Time Machine activity.
With the Console open, attempt another backup and note at what step the process chokes. Often it will identify the very file that is causing the problem.
You can copy and paste the events for the previous couple of minutes from the log into a new post here and we may be able to tell you exactly what is happening.
There are three iMacs in my house; they share a Time Capsule and I love it all so much more than the alternative. Recently, though, two of us could not backup. I have had all sorts of error messages stating that the location in which my backups were stored could not be found or that the disk could not be mounted or the machine was 'Preparing backup' for hours and hours on end. I could not access 'Time Machine.' I thought all was lost. I reconfigured Time Capsule - no good. I was preparing to contact 'Apple Care' and even though I have paid the money for the privilege, I was dreading it. Then I thought, 'what have I done to two computers that I have not done to the other, which is backing up?' Answer: 'I installed iAntivirus, by PC Tools.' I closed that and all is rosy once more, er, apart from the desktop's becoming a 'Magic Eye' picture whenever I relaunch 'Finder.' I'll start another thread for that one.
Time Machine was not backing up and unable to mount the sparse bundle.
After several restarts I managed to repair the disk in disk utility following the instructions above. Next I deleted the inProgress files. I made sure that time machine was disabled on both my machines and then reconnected to the TC via Ethernet.
I switched TM back on and after about two hours of the preparing dialogue it has started to backup. Hoorah!
